This invention relates to an orthopaedic appliance. In particular it relates to an orthopaedic appliance which is used as an accessory in arthroscopic surgery of the knee.
The patella or kneecap is essentially a thick flat triangular shaped moveable bone that forms the anterior point of the knee and protects the front of the knee joint.
In arthroscopic surgery of the knee, it is often necessary to view the undersurface of the kneecap. In order to achieve optimal visualization, the kneecap must shifted from position to position and held in place. While this may be accomplished by the arthroscopic surgeon with his hands in direct contact with the kneecap, said manipulation is often times less than desirable in that the kneecap may be difficult to grasp and move with one hand.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which may be attached to a person's kneecap so as to permit controlled movement thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device which may be attached to a person's kneecap by the use of a plurality of pins.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an orthopaedic applicance which is easily constructed out of stainless surgical steel or other suitable material.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device which may be attached to a person's kneecap and held in position without relative movement between the kneecap and the device during manipulation of the kneecap during arthoscopic surgery.